The most important part of planning a wedding is setting your budget. Your budget is important because it is next to impossible to know what you can afford for each major part of the wedding if you don't set an overall cost that is comfortable for you. You will probably find that deciding the budget is the hardest job to do because, of course, you want to have the best and most memorable wedding you can possibly have.
The days when the wedding was paid for by the parents of the bride are almost gone now. Parents will often contribute to the wedding cost as a gift to the couple, but it is pretty rare for parents to cover the whole cost of the wedding.
Usually this is because the parents simply can't afford it. But couples today often prefer to pay for their own weddings because it ensures that they can plan them the way that they want to without interference.
These days, 4 out of 5 couples pay for their own wedding and it helps to know how your budget should be broken down.
When creating your budget, you will first begin with the overall amount that you can afford to spend. The average wedding today costs approximately $19,000. This is not a definite, but this is what the statistics currently show.
Now you will need to take that overall budget amount and split it percentage-wise for each major aspect of your wedding e.g. how much to spend on the wedding clothing, the rings, catering, decorating the venue etc. If you are not good at percentages, you can always utilize the Internet and check with the various websites that offer you free or cheap wedding budget calculators that will do it for you.
With these calculators, all that you have to do is input the total budget amount and then they will calculate for you how much money in dollars you will be able to spend on each component of your wedding.
Once you have figured out the dollar amount that you can spend on each component of the wedding, you can then begin to create a list itemizing everything.
You will need to put together a list of all the areas of your wedding that are important to you and make sure that you allocate a sensible proportion of the total budget to each.
This is necessary so that you can see if the wedding of your dreams is a realistic expectation given what you can afford to spend. If you come up short, here are some ideas to enable you to trim the expenses:
? Reduce the size of the guest list
? Forego some of the services
? Reduce the size of the wedding party
? Forget the extras like limos
It is only by setting down on paper a budget you can afford and listing all of the areas that you have to spend money on that you can begin to refine your ideas on the type and scope of wedding that it is realistic for you to aim for.
Afterall, you will have plenty of expenses to cover after the wedding when starting out on your married life together. It just doesn't make sense to create problems by over-stretching financially on the wedding.
Alan Allport is Webmaster at http://www.wedding-source.best-gen.com where he has published a FREE Online guide to planning the perfect wedding on a budget
house cleaning near Buffalo Grove ..There are many great options to consider for letting your... Read More
I say always register for gifts! You see, people tend... Read More
There are two major events that you have to plan... Read More
Your wedding rings were meant to last a lifetime. They... Read More
Your wedding invitations are your announcement to family and friends... Read More
There's no doubt about it, weddings can be expensive. The... Read More
One of the most elegant rituals you can choose for... Read More
Brides looking to stay on top of their wedding plans... Read More
The relationship expert on i.village.com, I am the author of... Read More
When Alicia first met Tim, she found him outgoing, charming,... Read More
In the last article, we concluded by saying that keeping... Read More
One of the top priorities on a wedding day is... Read More
Have you ever wondered why your marriage isn't happier? If... Read More
Wedding favors are as unique and varied as the couples... Read More
Strange as it may seem the use of a wedding... Read More
Effective communication between you and your wedding guests is essential... Read More
Las Vegas wedding receptions are where people tend to go... Read More
Just the thought of all the expenses that come with... Read More
Bridal shower games are a wonderful way to put your... Read More
Computer printed labels are a time-saver, but they make the... Read More
Couples experiencing their first Costa Rica honeymoon vacations are never... Read More
"Presence is more than just being there," states Malcolm S.Forbes.... Read More
Everybody who has decided to marry wants their day to... Read More
Deciding the menu is a pretty simple affair. Once you've... Read More
In my opinion, these things matter...1. Valuing commitment over instant... Read More
reliable home cleaners Buffalo Grove ..So you've been in that perfect relationship for some time... Read More
No one has as much fun as the bride to... Read More
Thousands of years ago, the Celts, a group of independent... Read More
The Arizona Inn is just the place that you are... Read More
To paraphrase a song, "Are you doing it more, but... Read More
Astrology is considered to be the oldest of all sciences,... Read More
Receiving wedding gifts is a whole lot more fun when... Read More
So many couples are planning to have their wedding at... Read More
India is a diverse, multi-cultural country with people of various... Read More
The more realistic you are as you prepare for marriage,... Read More
Planning a second wedding? Prevent favorite guests comparing your second... Read More
There's an important question that you need to ask the... Read More
Marriage counseling is an investment of money, time, and energy... Read More
The key to being a gracious bride is to be... Read More
Computer printed labels are a time-saver, but they make the... Read More
Bridal showers are one of many pre-wedding parties and are... Read More
If you are looking for honeymoon vacation ideas that will... Read More
Any marriage counselor will tell you that one of the... Read More
Almost there! This is the third lesson of my "Invitation... Read More
"Til death do us part" is still the language used... Read More
Love should not blind a couple to the realities of... Read More
Planning a wedding of any size or budget can have... Read More
"Presence is more than just being there," states Malcolm S.Forbes.... Read More
One of my favorite parts about the wedding, is the... Read More
A wedding is one of the most special days planned... Read More
Marriage & Wedding |